Father's Day
by JaggerK
Summary: Every year we set aside a day to celebrate Fathers, even in the DC universe. Some Fathers gain their children by blood and some by fate. Everyday until Father's Day a one-shot will be posted of a different Father and child. Please enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Similar to the Mother's Day series I have written a series of one-shots for Father's Day. Each day I will post one in the week leading up to the day we honour Fathers. Fathers are important in the lives of girls and boys. Being there at the time of conception doesn't make you a Father, it's how you perform your role in the lives of your children – whether they are yours by blood or not – that counts.

Not all Fathers understand the how to handle their role in their children's lives.

With that thought in mind we start off this week with Jade & Laurence.

I hope you enjoy this week of stories.


	2. Jade & Laurence

"Where's my wife?" The young nurse looked up from her computer startled by the snarling voice. Hulking over the desk was a large man with close cropped blonde hair. The nurse stared at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Excuse me, but exactly who do you think you are?" The blond man turned ready to snarl at this new challenger but stopped, eyes trapped in the steely gaze of the head nurse. "You don't come roaring in here like a bull in a china shop, frightening my staff, upsetting other parents."

Laurence Crock stared at the woman. She wasn't very big, in her forties, and authority sat over her like a mantle. He was intimidating at the best of times and this wasn't remotely one of them.

"I want to see my wife." He drew himself up to his full height. "She's here having a baby. Paula Crock."

"In a maternity ward, imagine that." The nurse said dryly. She nodded at the other nurse behind the desk who typed clumsily on the computer and then stammered out a room number. "You're late." The disapproval was plain. "The baby's been born."

"I was on a job." He growled. "I told her to wait."

"Babies don't work that way, boy. You better learn that real fast. Your life is going to revolve around a whole new schedule now and it isn't going to be yours." The nurse crossed her arms. "Now you throttle back that attitude and I'll take you to your wife and baby. If not, you can go back the way you came."

Laurence almost gaped at the woman. She had no fear of him, no concern. He could break her in half but she just stood there calmly staring him down. She'd probably be happy to meet Batman in a dark alley. He liked her, he decided. A slow smile curved his lips.

"Throttling back, yes ma'am." There was a slight smirk in his voice but his posture relaxed.

She regarded him silently and then nodded. "Follow me." She led him down the hallway into a room where Paula slept soundly on the bed. A small medical bassinet was next to the bed. The nurse scooped up the small bundle that was in it and turned to him. She held a baby in her arms with a shock of black hair.

"It's a girl." She whispered. She moved to hand the girl to Laurence and he stepped backward reflexively. Her lips quirked up. "Big, scary thing like you isn't afraid of a baby, is he?"

He was, though, terrified. What he and Paula had was passionate and wild. They had gotten married on a dare. Then, suddenly, she was pregnant. They had never intended to have children. He had wanted to end the pregnancy but Paula refused so now there was this impossibly tiny human that was part of him.

"You won't break her." The nurse passed the baby to him and settled his hands and arms into the right position. "There you go, Jade. Your Daddy is just being silly. You'll have to show him how it's done." She turned and walked out of the room.

Jade. He had all but forgotten the name that they had settled on for a girl. She was so beautiful with that thick patch of black hair. She was obviously going to look like Paula but he wondered if there would be any of him to seen in her.

"Hello Jade. Daddy's little girl." He cradled the tiny body against his large one. "Daddy's going to teach you everything you need to know to make sure no one ever hurts you. You're going to be dangerous just like he is. If somehow someone does hurt you Daddy will just have to kill them, won't he?"


	3. Artemis & Ollie

STAR CITY

QUEEN MANOR

Artemis stood in front of the full length mirror stroking the cream a line skirt slowly. The wedding dress, _her_ wedding dress, was stunning. It should be. The squeals of her friends had served to confirm what Artemis already knew – that this was _the_ dress. It was the silent smiles from her mother, Dinah, and Selina that sealed the decision in her head.

This was the dress that she would wear to marry Wally. The day she met him she never would have believed that she would be waiting to walk down the aisle to marry Baywatch of all people. He was perfect for her though. He'd even come back from the dead, well the Speed Force at least, for her.

"You know, you could always run away with me." Artemis' eyes snapped up and met Ollie's in the mirror.

"I didn't hear you come in." She turned from the mirror to face him.

"I noticed. You were off in a dream somewhere." Ollie took her hand and looked her up and down. "You sure have grown up on me."

He paused for a minute and looked uncertain. "Are you sure you want to do this? Me walking you down the aisle?"

She pulled him over to sit next to her on the little couch.

"Do you know when I was little I decided that I was never going to get married?" Artemis smiled sadly at Ollie. "Most of the people I knew had relationships like my parents. Not like you and Dinah or Selina and Bruce. Not like me and Wally. I was certainly never going to have a wedding like this. As I got older, I realized that I might at some point find myself with a kid, that it happened. I was going to make damn sure that whatever man was involved never got near that kid because fathers were only good for two things – making babies and hurting kids." Ollie winced.

"Then I got involved with you. You were everything Lawrence wasn't. You cared about everything I did. Training wasn't the inflicting of pain. Sure it happened, it's what we do, but it wasn't your goal and you didn't enjoy it. You made sure I knew how to avoid it if possible and how to treat it when it happened. You took an interest in all parts of my life not just the job. You held me responsible for my actions and took responsibility for me as well. You gave me friends and family beyond my Mom." Artemis paused and squeezed Ollie's hand. "At some point I realized that was how a father was supposed to act. So am I sure I want you walking me down the aisle? Yes, I am sure I want my Father to walk me down the aisle."

Ollie's eyes misted over and a single tear slid down his cheek. He leaned forward to pull Artemis to him in a hug.

"Thank you. So much." He told her. "If you tell anyone, particularly Bruce, I cried I'll swear you're lying."

"He's Batman." She whispered to him. "He already knows."

They started to laugh and Ollie hugged her tighter.


	4. Lian & Roy

GOTHAM

NIGHT

Red Arrow watched from his perch, arrow still at the ready, as Robin pulled Speedy to her feet. It had been close, so close. The mountain of a meta-human had almost gotten the better of his baby girl. Robin had arrived on scene to take him out before Red Arrow had gotten the chance to do anything. Speedy looked none the worse for wear, her pride was likely the worst thing injured.

Red Arrow gaped as Robin pulled her hood back up and gently tucked the long red curls back into it. Speedy said something to him and placed her hand over his heart. Robin placed his hand over hers and they stood speaking together, seemingly oblivious to the arrow aimed at them from a distance.

This could not be happening! His little girl, Speedy, sweet Lian Harper did not have intimate conversations in the middle of fights with the demon spawn, Robin, otherwise known as Damian Wayne. It just did not happen! Ever. Well, there had been that decidedly intimate kiss on the battlefield two months earlier but that had been adrenaline and shock because Damian had almost died. It meant nothing. Right? Surely Jade would have told him if anything else was happening. Right?

He could take him down right now. An arrow to the head and his problems would be all over. Okay, they would all just be starting but his baby would never be touched by the demon spawn again. There was the little issue of murder but he could deal with police. Bats of all shapes and sizes would be after him. Actually, Hood was a wild card. He might just agree with him on not letting Robin touch Speedy and using whatever means necessary to prevent it. Now, Catwoman was a different story. She'd track him down to flay the skin from his bones with her whip. Her friendship with Canary likely wouldn't slow her down from avenging the baby bat, as his family called him. Canary also wasn't likely to be in a helping mood since her grandbaby would not be happy about Robin's death.

STAR CITY

ARROW BASE

Lian stepped out of the Zeta tube into the Arrow base of operations headed straight for her Grandfather, grin identical to his on her face despite any matching genetics. Her Dad's hand on her arm tugged her in the opposite direction and out of earshot of the small group there. She glanced curiously up at her father who looked determined and annoyed. When they stopped he let go of her arm, folded both of his, and looked at her from his full height in what she called his 'Imposing Father' Stance. It was pretty effective, especially considering he was in his full Red Arrow gear. It hadn't worked on her since she was eight. Not surprising when you considered she called Batman 'Uncle Bruce'.

"Explain."

"Explain what?" Lian kept her tone respectful. "The meaning of life? The Big Bang Theory? The travesty that was Nightwing's Disco inspired uniform?"

"Don't get smart with me." Roy's lips almost twitched at the thought of Dick's first Nightwing uniform. It _had_ been a travesty. "What I saw between you and Damian tonight."

"Oh that." The response was quiet and she looked away. "You weren't supposed to see that yet."

"Yes, THAT." Roy fumed. "What are you thinking? He's the DEMON spawn. His own brothers call him that!"

"Not so much anymore." Lian countered. "Just once in a while. It's really more of a brotherly teasing thing now. Like when they call him 'baby bat' when he isn't the baby of the family any more, Helena is. Damian isn't like that."

"Fine. Let's say he isn't but have you picked up a tabloid? 90% of the stuff they splash across the covers about Damian aren't carefully constructed to protect his real life like it was with his brothers or Bruce or Ollie and we all know it. That's how Damian lives his life when he's not being Robin. Tim, Bruce, and even Dick run the companies. Selina runs the foundations with Cassandra since they merged them. Damian is the tried and true playboy who plays the game for real." Roy paused and took a deep breath. He cupped Lian's cheek with his hand. "You're a good girl, Lian. You aren't ready to swim in waters with sharks like that."

In retrospect, Roy should have known better. His little girl had spent her formative years with likes of Dinah Lance, Selina Kyle, Lois Lane, Barbara Gordon, and Artemis Crock. She had learned her combat techniques against the male gender from those women. "You don't think I can handle Damian?" Her voice was soft and pleasant, a smile graced her lips.

"There's just a certain type of man who is careless with woman." Roy paused to think about his next words. "Damian would never deliberately hurt a woman but some women like to play the kind of games he does. Other women aren't built that way. And some, some are just girls thinking they can play games with a man who has years of experience and holds all the cards. Do you understand? Sure, he's pretty and enticing but you're young and you'll get over this. I just don't want you to get hurt in the meantime." He smiled encouragingly at her.

The flash of verbal claws caught him unaware and he recognized the tutelage of Selina Kyle. He wondered vaguely why it had ever seemed like a good idea to let any of those women be around his daughter.

"I'm not 'just a girl'. I'm Speedy. I've carried that name into battle for 8 years since I was 10. I've fought alien invasions, various incarnations of the Injustice League, and the bad versions of ourselves who somehow managed to get through from Earth 3 – her hair wasn't as nice as mine – to mention a few. Not even as important as the women I call family. Do you really understand that?"

Roy opened his mouth to respond but Lian cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Rhetorical. Black Canary is my Grandmother. The original Huntress, whom the Shadows considered one of their best assassins, is the other. My mother was Cheshire and is now Phoenix. Catwoman, Batgirl, and Lois Lane call themselves my aunts. Tigress _is_ my Aunt. Black Bat and Spoiler adore me. These are among toughest, nastiest women the superhero world has to offer. I was raised and trained by them, with them. Can I handle Damian? Please. Ask yourself if Damian can handle me."

With that she spun on her heel and walked away. He stood staring at her retreating figure. His head was reeling. How had she turned it around? She was just a little girl. Okay, fair enough she was eighteen but it was too young to be dating Damian's twenty-two. He sighed internally. He knew it really wasn't. She couldn't really handle him, could she? Roy's mind went back to the image of them standing together earlier. It was eerily reminiscent of the way that Selina and Bruce often stood together during quiet moments in battle.

Something told him that she was right – Damian would be lucky if he could handle her. That didn't mean he had to just let it happen. He strode forward. He had calls to make. Hopefully both Dick and Jason would be available to meet to talk about stopping this budding romance.


	5. Dick & Bruce

_BLUDHAVEN_

Nightwing scanned the area as he secured the unconscious drug dealers.

"You could have helped, you know." He zip tied the wrists of one of the men and moved on to another one.

"Ah, kitten, did you need my help?" Catwoman's teasing voice drifted down to him.

"Need, no. That doesn't mean you couldn't have done something besides sit up there and look pretty." He hadn't heard her move or land on the ground but he heard the distinctive sound of a zip tie being used behind him and knew she was helping him to secure the dealers.

"But I'm so good at it." He could hear the smirk in her voice. "Besides, I got plenty of exercise earlier and you looked like you still needed some."

They worked in silence for a few moments a team used to each other's movements and methods. Evidence was gathered, dealers restrained, imaging taken for Nightwing's own files. Nightwing finished and turn to find Catwoman watching him.

"Do you know what today is?" She asked him.

"Ummm, Saturday? No, wait, it must be Sunday by now." He tilted his head at her. "Why?"

"Yes. It's Sunday. It's the third Sunday of June to be precise." She responded softly.

He frowned at her for a moment and then he stiffened. "Dammit, no."

"Yes."

"I'm not doing it." He turned away from her. He felt the claws of her gauntlet gently grasp his upper arm and he looked down into her lensed eyes. "Dammit Cat."

"He needs you. You need him." He could feel the weight of the emerald eyes hidden behind the lenses. Her voice was a whisper. "Your brother died. Stop this and go see him."

"He needs you too. Come with me." Nightwing laid his gauntlet over Catwoman's.

"No." She flinched. "No. Today is about fathers. Go spend it with one you have and the one who made himself your grandfather. Stop and see the one you lost. Heal. I have no place there."

"Today is about family." He turned to her and placed his hand on her cheek. "Come with me. We'll all heal together."

She jerked back from him. Her voice when she spoke was full of unshed tears. "Go home. Be with your family. I have no place there."

She was gone leaping into the night before he could stop her. He watched her until the darkness swallowed her up. Nightwing sighed and turned back to call BPD. He would go home to spend Father's Day with Bruce and Alfred. He was done waiting for answers though. Bruce would have to tell him why Selina was taking so much of the blame for Jason's death. As much as Selina was determined to fix the rift between him and Bruce he was just as determined to fix the one between the two of them.

Nightwing swung off into the night wondering where he could get a Father's Day card before heading to Wayne Manor in the morning.


	6. Wally & Barry (& Rudy)

_CENTRAL CITY_

 _THE ALLEN HOME_

Wally sat down next to a shell shocked Barry on the couch.

"I have a grandson." Barry's voice was monotone and he didn't look at Wally. "Iris is pregnant with twins. I have a grandson from a son that hasn't even been born yet." He dragged his eyes up to meet Wally's and his voice started to panic. "I have a daughter who probably has children. Grandchildren I don't know about yet. _Aretheyallgoingtoshowuphere_?"

Wally grabbed his uncle by the shoulders. "Take a deep breath Uncle Barry." He waited until Barry had relaxed a bit. "I think Bart would have mentioned if there were more of him." He muttered under his breath. "I hope."

"Wally, Iris and I were just starting to talk about having kids." Barry's eyes were miserable. "Now we have a teen grandson. How are we supposed to handle this? How am I supposed to handle this?"

"Barry you've been hanging around teen superheroes for years." Wally tried not to laugh. "I think you've got this covered. Besides, have you seen how many teenagers Bruce has coming and going from the Cave? If he can do this so can you."

"What if I can't? What if I screw this up?" His voice lowered to a whisper. "What if I'm not good at it? What if I'm not cut out to be a Dad? Or a Grandpa?"

"Whoa." Wally grabbed Barry and gave him a good shake. "Where did that come from? That is so not gonna happen. You got this nailed. Who taught me how not to run into walls? I mean, it took forever but that wasn't your fault. Oh! Who stepped between me and Bruce when I was going through puberty and couldn't be in the same room as Selina without vibrating in place? Or into that priceless Ming vase?"

Barry threw back his head and laughed.

"See? That right there is great Dad material. Anyone who steps between an enraged Bruce Wayne and their kid knowing they are likely going to die is solid."

"I had forgotten about that." Barry smiled at him.

"I bet you Bruce hasn't. Dick and Roy sure haven't." Wally said ruefully. "You're going to be just fine. You and Aunt Iris got lots of practice with me."

"You were pretty easy. Even if you did have your moments." Barry grinned.

"I just needed to keep you from being bored." Wally teased and then his face got serious. "I mean it. You're going to be a great Dad. I know what I'm talking about. I have one of my own."


	7. Helena & Bruce

Selina sat on the couch hugging a pillow to her chest, Dinah and Lois on either side of her. She stared blindly at the carpet trying not to hyperventilate, paperwork gripped tightly in her hand.

"This can't be happening." She swung a desperate gaze from Dinah to Lois and then down to the paper in her hand. "Leslie made a mistake. She screwed up the tests or the paperwork or something. It just can't be right."

Lois sighed internally. Her gaze met Dinah's over Selina's bowed head. When Selina had suddenly called and asked them to meet her at the penthouse Queen Industries kept in New York neither woman questioned it. What they didn't expect to find was a complete wreck of a Selina waiting for them.

"Selina." Selina's head jerked up at Dinah's firm tone. "You and I both know that Leslie does not make mistakes. Especially not ones like this. Why aren't you happy?"

"Are you kidding?" Selina was appalled. "Bruce is going to freak."

"Bruce does not freak." Lois chuckled. "Clark freaks. Ollie freaks. Barry speed freaks. Bruce does _not_ freak."

"Bruce plans everything. This was definitely not planned. How do I tell him, tell him," Selina couldn't even finish the sentence.

"That you're pregnant?" Dinah said bluntly. "You'll find away. Don't forget, he's just as responsible as you are."

"This is all your husband's fault!" Selina looked accusingly at Lois.

"Umm, how is this my husband's fault?" Lois tried not to laugh.

"He had to say he heard a heartbeat!" Selina jumped up from the couch and started to pace. "How am I supposed to be a mother? What do I know about being a mother?"

Dinah and Lois exchanged amused glances.

"You have four boys and Cassandra. I think you know a couple of things." Lois chuckled.

"Oh no." Selina sank back down on the couch clutching the pillow tighter. "Damian."

"You don't think he'd hurt the baby, do you?" Lois was alarmed.

"What? No, of course not." Selina frowned. "He's past that kind of thing. He just has so much of his identity tied up in being Bruce's blood son. How am I supposed to tell him this?"

"Oh, honey." Dinah rubbed her arm. "Damian will be okay. Maybe not at first but he will be. He's not the same kid that he was when he joined the Team."

Dinah and Lois pressed in on either side of Selina, holding her tight. That was how Bruce found them after he picked the lock on the Penthouse and bypassed security.

"Ladies." Three heads swiveled in his direction at the sound of his voice.

"How did you get in here?" He merely raised an eyebrow at Selina's question. "Never mind."

Lois rose and motioned to Dinah. "We'll just give you two some privacy." Both women ignored Selina's not so subtle pleadings as they left the room. Bruce waited until they were gone to sit down on the couch next to Selina.

"You're very pale. Are you sick?" He muttered.

"No." Selina shook her head. "I'm not sick."

"Imagine my surprise when after a three week mission with the League I returned home to find that my wife was not waiting to welcome me back but had left abruptly for New York minutes before I arrived." Bruce's voice was concerned. "Then Alfred was rushing me out the door insisting I go after her at once. That it was of paramount importance."

"Alfred is exaggerating things." Selina twisted the antique wedding set on her finger worn by four generations of Wayne women before her.

"Alfred doesn't exaggerate things. Ever." Bruce silently watched her twist the rings for a moment. "Selina." When she didn't look at him, his tone sharpened slightly. Her head jerked up, her gaze meeting his. "Selina." The tone softened again. "Are you planning to leave me?"

"No." Her gaze skidded away to the paper clenched tightly in her hand. "I hope not."

"You hope not?" Bruce reached down and gently pried the paper from her fingers and smoothed it out to read. The breath caught in his chest. "Oh. Oh." He reached out to touch her, but she flinched slightly away. "Selina, do you not want to keep the baby?" Her response was to clutch the pillow protectively to her abdomen.

He stared at her averted face, then at the pillow, then back at her face. "You think I'm not going to want the baby." It was a statement, not a question.

Selina leapt up from the couch and put three strides between her and Bruce.

"You plan everything. We never, not once, talked about this." Her voice was heavy. "Kids just show up randomly. Heck, some of them are trained. This isn't a trick. I didn't plan this. It just happened. I want you to believe that."

Bruce stood up from the couch. "Of course. Why would I - oh Selina, this isn't the same. You're not her. You would never be deceitful or underhanded. You would certainly never use an innocent child as a pawn."

Selina nodded and took a deep breath. She dropped the pillow and pressed both hands to her abdomen. Tears glimmered in her eyes when she spoke again. "We never talked about this. If it hadn't happened I would have lived a happy life completely ignorant that I was missing something vital. I need you like I need to breathe but if you make me make a choice there really isn't one."

Bruce moved slowly and carefully closing the gap between them so as not to startle her. When he reached her side he placed one of his large hands over both of her smaller ones. He tilted her face up to look into her emerald eyes.

"We're having a baby. Together."

"Yes, we are." She gave a watery laugh. "Surprise."

"How do you always do that to me?" He murmured as his lips brushed hers.

"I don't want you to get bored with me." She responded when his lips departed from hers.

"Mission accomplished." His finger stroked across her cheek. "Why do I think this baby will do much the same as its mother?"

"Oh, I'm sure she will." Selina chuckled.

"She? You know already?" Bruce was surprised.

"More wishful thinking." Selina grinned. "Cass and I are outnumbered. We could use some back up."

"I'm taking you home to Alfred." He scooped her up and headed to the door. "Then we have to work out our plan of attack to tell the family."

Selina rested her head on his shoulder. She wanted to tell him she could walk but she was a little drained. She'd been so scared – of his reaction, how she herself would deal with the baby. Besides, it was nice once in a while to just snuggle in and be taken care of.

Back in the penthouse Dinah and Lois grinned smugly at each other.

"That went well." Dinah commented. "I would have blown his eardrums out with my cry if he had turned her away."

"He wouldn't have done that. He's mush around Lian. Always has been. Besides he loves Selina too much for that." Lois waved her hand. "But I would have backed you up if he had. Now we can go home to our husbands." Lois paused for a moment and grinned widely at Dinah. "We get to be Aunties to a BatCat baby!"

"Dibs on the Superman onsie!" Dinah laughed.

"Dammit! I was going to say that!" Lois grumbled.

"Getting slow in your old age, Lane." Dinah smirked at her.

"Sure, Lance, sure." Lois smirked back. "Which one of us does Lian call Grandma?"

"Ouch. Damn military brat."


	8. Selina & Alfred

Alfred stood at the stove stirring the sauce that evening's dinner. When he turned back around Selina was seated at the island watching the overhead light play off the antique engagement ring that Bruce's mother and three generations of Wayne women before her had worn with a trouble expression.

"It looks as beautiful on you as it did on Ms. Martha." Alfred waited for Selina to look up at him but she didn't. She frowned at the ring instead.

"They wouldn't have been happy about this, would they?" Selina didn't lift her head to look at him, just continued to frown at the ring.

"Master Thomas and Ms. Martha? Why would you say such a thing?" Alfred was curious.

"You have to ask?" Selina looked up at him now, one corner of her mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. "An ex-thief from the East End whose mother was murdered to make a point to her father and whose father….shouldn't be spoken about in polite company. Thomas and Martha Wayne's only child is marrying a street rat."

"Street rat." Alfred sniffed. "You sound like Master Jason."

"I guess I do." Selina gave a short laugh.

"You make that only child very happy. They would love you for that. He was their world. Where you came from wouldn't matter to them. They were good people. You would have liked them very much."

"If you liked them, then I would have." She tilted her head to one side considering. "I never asked you but whatever made you agree to help me that day I came to you and told you that I knew Bruce was Batman; that I had to kiss him tasting like chocolate? Why didn't you just send me away and tell me that I was being foolish because how could anyone like Bruce Wayne be Batman?"

"I had figured out who you were and then had a long conversation with Leslie about you. I'd never seen Master Bruce affected that way by anyone. I had a feeling you belonged in our lives." Alfred looked pointedly at her hand. "I was right."

"Yes, I guess you were." Selina sighed. "I never thought I would get married. Little girls like me don't dream about that. Then with Bruce…..I don't think I ever really thought about it. Now there's so much to do and so much to plan. Dresses, bridesmaids, music. I have to have someone walk me down the aisle."

There was a long pause. "As I mentioned before, my father shouldn't be discussed in polite company so we won't talk about him. I didn't dream about getting married so I'm a little surprised to find I'm a traditionalist. I don't want to walk down the aisle by myself. The man who took it upon himself to make my life better, to give me advice, to laugh with me, and cry with me; to do all the things a father is supposed to do should walk me down the aisle." Selina smiled softly and looked Alfred directly in the eyes. "What I'm trying to say, to ask, is would you please walk me down the aisle at my wedding?"

"I would be delighted to, my dear." Alfred smiled at her and took her hand in both of his. "Absolutely delighted."


End file.
